the lincoln bible. so much history in this small box. >> i was thinking this big bible but it's actually pretty tiny. >> the monumental mentality of the moment has been confused with the size of the bible. it's a small family bible. >> 150 years ago, the president who freed the slave abraham lincoln, put his hand on this bible and swore to uphold the constitution. >> these are objects that seem to store the energy of a moment and they are physical objects that have traveled through time and culture to us. >> mark is the chief of the rare books collection at the u.s. library of congress. lincoln's inauguration day, march 4th, 1861. >> there's this incredible moment where lincoln walking out on stage and gives this magnificent inaugural address and uses this bible to swear in in a moment when the country is so divided. >> a country so politically torn and on the verge of war, lincoln had to be mug geled in because of assassination threats. lincoln didn't have his family bible with him so he borrowed one f